Now Reading: Independence Day orders breathe life into Guwahati Khadi unit, network struggles
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Independence Day orders breathe life into Guwahati Khadi unit, network struggles
Independence Day orders breathe life into Guwahati Khadi unit, network struggles
Nine women at the Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board's Chandmari centre in Guwahati are stitching thousands of national flags for the 80th Independence Day, producing flags worth around Rs 15-16 lakh…
The Story in Brief
Nine women at the Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board's Chandmari centre in Guwahati are stitching thousands of national flags for the 80th Independence Day, producing flags worth around Rs 15-16 lakh with daily output of Rs 50,000-60,000. About Rs 12 lakh worth of flags have already been sent outside Assam, and total production is targeted at Rs 18 lakh. Workers say they feel good to have orders but acknowledge the situation is not good. But the board's wider production network across Assam faces shrinking operations, raw material shortages and financial constraints. Several centres have scaled down or stopped production, machinery has deteriorated, and the board's earnings are insufficient to meet salaries. The temporary revival may end once I-Day orders are completed.
The Indian Opinion
The story of nine women stitching flags is heartening, but it also exposes a lazy narrative that government orders alone can revive traditional industries. The reality is that Assam's Khadi network has been declining due to chronic underinvestment and raw material scarcity. Temporary bursts of work around Independence Day are no substitute for a sustained strategy. The real test will come once the machines stop humming: will the board get the support it needs to keep these workers employed year-round?
Source: assamtribune.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
